First coronavirus case in Guyana
By Bert Wilkinson
Guyana’s government
Wednesday night confirmed
the country’s first coronavirus
case following the death of a
Guyanese woman who returned
home from Queens, New York
six days ago.
In an address to the nation,
President David Granger said
the 52-year-old woman, identified
as Ratna Baboolall died
at the state-run Georgetown
Hospital on Wednesday morning,
a day after being admitted
to hospital. Guyana now joints
Jamaica, Cuba and St. Vincent
with confirmed cases while
authorities in Suriname and
Trinidad are monitoring people
with suspected cases.
Calling it “my sad duty to
announce Guyana’s first confirmed
case,” Granger said the
state’s main laboratory confirmed
the cause of death as
the coronavirus, about seven
hours after body samples were
sent for evaluation.
The woman’s death caused
some amount of panic at the
hospital in the city as nurses
and doctors scampered to find
out if they would have been
exposed to harm. The first confirmed
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case has also led to a
mad scramble at pharmacies
for face masks, Dettol soaps
and hand sanitizers among
other items. Most pharmacies
have, however have run out of
stocks, victims of panic buying.
And to the surprise and consternation
of many commuters,
traffic policemen Thursday
appeared at major junctions
with masks and gloves as they
kept order on major roadways.
Thousands of parents also sent
children to school with small
packs of sanitizers and masks
in backpacks.
Earlier on Wednesday, a
panel of doctors and other medical
personnel said the woman
was being treated mainly for
acute hypertension and uncontrolled
diabetes but doctors
were suspicious about her real
diagnosis after learning that
she had recently returned from
New York.
Granger said that every
effort would be made to prevent
“the risk of community
spread” as medical teams will
be sent to her home and district
to assess the condition
of family members and others
who might have interacted
with her as well as identifying
and tracing all who might have
been exposed to the virus in
recent days.
“The patient’s infection is
classified an imported case,”
he said, noting that intense
screening of passengers form
high risks countries like Brazil,
French Guyana, the US,
Italy, South Korea, China,
Japan, Singapore, Thailand,
Malaysia, Iran, The Dominican
Republic, St. Vincent, Panama
and Jamaica remains in effect.
“I use this opportunity to
appeal to the public to remain
calm and to implement all the
advisories relating to personal
hygiene, social distancing and
overall infection prevention
and control. The government
of Guyana will continue to
keep the public informed as
we manage this public health
challenge,” he said, noting
that adequate testing kits and
medicines are available to treat
the virus.”
Guyanese authorities have
so far reported that 97 passengers
who entered the country
from nations with confirmed
cases have offered to self isolate
for at least two weeks
while health authorities monitor
their condition.
Meanwhile, officials in Suriname
closed the speed boat
route across the border Corentyne
River with Guyana overnight
Wednesday after learning
of its neighbor’s first case.
The closure is indefinite for
now.
President of Guyana, David Granger. Associated Press / Kevin Hagen
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